Obscurity
by I'mjustaGirl1
Summary: The Job is over, successful- so what now? Will Ariadne stay in the dream business? Will Arthur let her?
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: **Hello, there! I hope you enjoy this story… be sure to let me know what you think! I'm a little unsure whether or not I will be able to complete this, but I'll definitely try.

**Disclaimer: I am not Christopher Nolan, nor do I own his works. I'm just playing with his characters. :)**

Ariadne drowsily stumbled off the plane, still submersed in the dream-induced haze. The team was under strict orders to act as if they were simply strangers, so the walk to the baggage claim was silent. The death-grip that Ariadne had on her totem was creating an indent in her palm, but she paid no mind. It was her anchor to reality- her lifeline.

When Arthur walked past her, he lightly bumped into her arm, startling her, and slid something into her free hand. When she looked at him and opened her mouth, he gave an almost imperceptible shake of his head, while still staring straight ahead.

_Right, strangers. _Ariadne felt a twinge of disappointment as she thought this. She was under no impression that the group would be "BFF's" after the Job, but she knew that she would miss all of them- Cobb, with his passion, Eames, for his humor, and even Yusuf, for his kindness. The most difficult, of course, would be Arthur. The Architect felt inexplicably drawn to the Point Man, and _the kiss_, as she referred to it in her head, solidified that feeling… along with the confusion that went with it.

_The kiss…_ It wasn't the best kiss that she's ever had, by any means. It was too quick, and entirely too chaste. Yet, at the same time, it felt like the most… important.

After retrieving her small bag from the baggage claim, Ariadne climbed into the nearest taxi. When the Cabbie asked for her destination, she realized- she had no idea. Ariadne truly had nowhere to be. Paris was out of the question for at least another week. Cobb had given her a plane ticket before the Job started, and informed her that the date was not negotiable. She was not to arouse suspicions in any way, which meant lying low.

"To the nearest three star hotel, I suppose, please."

It was only after the Cabbie began driving that Ariadne noticed the paper still clutched in her hand.

_I'll meet you at your hotel._

_-A._

She read Arthur's elegant script three more times before she realized that he would have no way of knowing which hotel that she chose. This was Los Angeles, after all.

Then again, he is the Point Man.

**A/N: **This is a fairly short first chapter, but it seemed like a clean place to stop. (Plus, it's late, and I have to work early in the morning. :P) Anyways, give me your thought/opinions/etc. I'll probably write the second chapter tomorrow. :)


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: **Holy crap, people are reading this? That's unexpected. Thank you all, from the bottom of my heart; I love you, and I don't even know you!

Now, I have a confession to make… when I started this story, I had no idea what the plot was going to be. But, not to worry! I officially have a story line. It's so exciting! So, here we go…. _Deep breaths!_

**Disclaimer: I am not Christopher Nolan, nor do I own his works. I'm just playing with his characters. :)**

Ariadne sat in her hotel room, waiting for Arthur. Hoping that, against all logic, he will find the correct hotel. After a couple of minutes sitting in silence, she realized how exhausted she was. Hell, even the hotel bed looked inviting. _A little catnap won't hurt, I suppose._ Ariadne curled into a tight ball on top of the hotel blankets, still clutching her totem, which she had yet to let go of. She was unsure of whether or not she would actually remember how to uncurl her tightly clenched fist- it was easier to leave it as-is.

Ariadne shut her eyes and breathed deeply, attempting to relax the leftover tension in her shoulders. _It's done- the Job is over. We succeeded. _Even this thought, however, failed to loosen up her muscles. Suddenly, she was startled to her feet as a sharp knock resounded from her door. _Arthur._

"Just a moment please!" Ariadne frantically tried to straighten her wrinkled clothes, while simultaneously smoothing her mussed hair. Realizing it was a lost cause, she hurried to the door, taking a quick peak through the peephole, confirming that it was the Point Man. She swung open the door, and ushered Arthur inside.

"Ariadne. How are you doing? Are you holding up alright?" Ariadne nodded quickly, trying to decipher the frustratingly mysterious look in his dark eyes. "I'm not going to beat around the bush, Ariadne- this is not a social visit." Trying to ignore the sinking feeling in her chest, the Architect remained silent. "I'm here to tell you what you can expect to result from this job."

This time, Ariadne had no trouble recognizing the look in his eyes- pure, frustrating, cold professionalism. Arthur continued, looking at her in utter seriousness.

"Your cut of the money will be wired directly to your bank account. You can expect it to become available to you within the next couple of days." Ariadne nodded, wondering when she had become so mute, entirely… _un-Ariadne_. "Now here's the important part- you will not see anyone from the team again. You will return to Paris, and return to your studies. It will be as if nothing ever happened, with the exception of the difference in your bank account. " Ariadne leapt to her feet, suddenly discovering her missing voice.

"Arthur, don't be ridiculous. I want to do more jobs with you guys, I want to continue dreaming; I need that pure creation! Besides, you can't just leave me like-"

"Stop, Ariadne, and listen carefully," Arthur cut her off, taking a step forward. "This was a job. Nothing more. The job is over, which means that our communication is no longer necessary. Your services are not needed- I can find a new architect."

It felt as if he had slapped her. To her humiliation, she felt her eyes fill with tears. "Arthur, did I do something wrong? I'm the best there is, and you know it! You can find another architect, but no one as good as I am."

"This is what I mean, Ariadne, why you shouldn't continue dreaming. You're too young, too emotional, and entirely too naïve." His eyes were steely cold as he spoke quietly, yet sternly. "You should not feel so involved with the team, we're coworkers. If I let you continue dreaming, all you will serve as is a distraction for all of us. Your attachment is partially my fault; I should never have pulled that distraction stunt. It was inappropriate, and I apologize- I should have looked to other means of distracting the projections-" Ariadne, finally reaching her boiling point, interrupted, rising angrily to her feet.

"Cut the bullshit, Arthur. It was a kiss. A _kiss._ Not a distraction. You felt something there, and you know it. So you can take your pretentious "professionalism" and shove it." Ariadne saw Arthur's cold façade crumble, for just a moment- a flash of anger, before it settled back into his expressions. The calm infuriated her; before she could continue, however, Arthur cut her off.

"Ariadne- there was no feeling behind that kiss- it was a distraction. I feel nothing for you. You were a coworker, and now that is done. You _will _return to your normal life, whether you like it or n-" His head snapped to the right with the force of Ariadne's slap. She was so angry that her normally calm face was a blotchy red, and her body was tensed, as if to pounce.

"How dare you try to dictate my life, Arthur? If I want to dream, I will find a way. I'm resourceful, and I can guarantee that I _will_ return to dreaming. You have no choice in that matter. I'm an adult. Now get _out._" He walked towards the door, before turning back.

"As I said, Ariadne, this is the last that you'll see of me. However I promised Cobb that I would give you this," Arthur placed what appeared to be a business card on the hotel dresser. "You should know, that dreaming is a hard business to break into on your own, and I think you will be disappointed in your search for an employer. Goodbye, Ariadne." With that he was gone.

Ariadne collapsed into tears, snatching the business card off the desk. She could not quell her infuriating curiosity, and she needed to see what Arthur left. It was… a business card… Ariadne looked at it through squinted eyes, trying to read it despite her tears.

_In case of Emergency, call:_

_(555) 278-4870 _

Unsure of what to do with the card, Ariadne shoved it into her wallet. If Cobb wanted her to have it, she was sure that it was important. Finally, she crumpled onto her bed, and fell into a dreamless sleep.

**A/N:**_** Man,**_** I feel drained after that. Anyways I hope you enjoyed the chapter, please review! I'm going to attempt to update on a semi-regular basis. Hope it works out! :)**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: **Hello again, lovelies! Thank you again for all of your heartwarming reviews and suggestions. I can assure you that I have an interesting story planned out, but I will definitely take your suggestions into account. Eventually there will be some Arthur/Ariadne moments, I promise. You'll just have to be patient. ;) I'm going to attempt to be inside of Arthur's head for a while here, so wish me luck!

**Disclaimer: I am not Christopher Nolan, nor do I own his works. I'm just playing with his characters. :)**

_I'm an asshole._ Arthur knew he was harsh with Ariadne. But harshness, he reminded himself, was necessary. She would never listen if he had merely suggested staying away from dreaming; this was the only way.

Ariadne could not dream anymore- at the very least, not with him. It was too dangerous, and she was simply too damn distracting to have around. To his vexation, he had developed…. not a crush, that was much too trivial- too childish. He had developed an _interest _in the Architect. It was her simple beauty, her spirit, and her _intelligence_ that was the issue. It was distracting, inappropriate, and too damn unprofessional to put up with. After all, Arthur prided himself in his professionalism.

This was just the way it had to be. Ariadne had to hate him, _detest_ him, in order to ensure that she would stay far away from him. The Point man had to remove temptation- to refocus on his _job._

The job. Unfortunately for the team, removing temptation also meant removing the best damn architect that he had ever seen. He could find a new one, however, and mold the architect to his liking. Preferably one of the unattractive male sort…

One thing was for certain. Arthur would never see Ariadne again.

It had been two months. Two months of dreamless nights. _Two months_ since Ariadne had returned to Paris, still full of an unrelenting resolve to continue dreaming- along with a broiling undercurrent of anger and, though she would never admit it, pain, towards the Point Man. Ariadne numbly returned to her studies, mindlessly going about her everyday life. She e-mailed both Saito and Yusuf in order to attempt to connect back into the dream world. They both, at the very least, knew where to find more dreamers. Both were dead-ends, however, as both men were loyal to Arthur. Apparently, he had known what her first moves would be, and had forewarned both men of her eventual contact.

And so, Ariadne was stuck going through the motions of a normal life. She craved the pure creativity of the dream world, taking out her frustrations on papers that littered her otherwise nearly empty apartment. Her money from the Job sat almost untouched in her bank account- only used for food and rent when necessary.

On her way to class, she stopped at her usual coffee shop, ordering her espresso. On her way to the door, she felt a hand grip her upper arm. Startled, she looked up. A large man, with a strong, slightly scarred, almost dangerous looking face, looked down on her.

"Ariadne. Please come with me," The man had a thick Bostonian accent. Ariadne dragged her feet. _How did he know her name?_

"I don't know you, sir. Let me go, now!" His grip tightened, almost painfully.

"I will not hurt you, honey, just come with me. We're just going to talk- I have a job offer for you." She was still suspicious, but she went with him anyways; it didn't seem that she had much of a choice. He led her to a black, official looking car, and opened the door, motioning for her to get in.

Ariadne hesitated for a moment, and then slid into the car. The man quickly followed her in, shutting the door.

"Who are you? What do you want with me?"

"My name is Marcus Blackhurst, an employee of Cobol industries. We have heard through the grapevine that you are an exceptionally talented dreamer, and we believe we could use your services." Ariadne stared at him, shocked. This was everything that she had hoped for… but there was one, glaring problem.

"But, Mr. Blackhurst, I'm only an architect. Do you have a team assembled?"

"You are the team. Should you accept, we will train you in becoming an extractor and point… person. Forging will be unnecessary, the subject had never seen you before."

"And the subject is…?"

"Are you saying that you accept, Ariadne?"

"Well, I should thi-" _What was she saying? This was her opportunity to prove herself- and to prove Arthur wrong._ "Er- absolutely. I accept." Blackhurst pulled a manila folder out of his briefcase, handing it over to her.

"Well then, study up on this, and tomorrow, at 7 am, you are to go to the address printed inside the folder." The car stopped, and Blackhurst stepped out. "We are at your class, Ariadne. You are not to tell anybody about this." With that, he was gone.

Later that night, Ariadne decided to look through the folder. The subject, Samuel Robinson, was an American ambassador of the UN. The thought of attempting her first extraction on someone so powerful, so important, made the Architect shudder. According to the information, he held important nuclear information that was dangerous to the rest of the world, and Cobol wanted to stop it in her tracks. Ariadne thought it was a bit strange that a corporation was taking such an interest in foreign affairs, but she was also unclear on what sort of business that Cobol was involved in. After all, perhaps they were simply doing their civil duty to the rest of the world. Nevertheless, it still made her slightly uneasy.

Ariadne looked through the content of the folder for a couple more hours, before finally heading to bed. The next morning, she awoke with a start, before throwing on some clothes. Topping off her outfit with her favorite sky blue scarf, she headed out the door, calling for a cab. When the cab arrived at the address that was given to her, Ariadne took a deep breath before stepping out of the cab. She was _nervous._ She was shocked to see that she arrived at a warehouse very similar to that in which the team had prepped for inception.

The nervous Ariadne entered the warehouse, seeing Blackhurst sitting with another man.

"Ah, Ariadne, right on time. This is my associate, and your dream teacher, Liam Wright." The tall, thin man, probably in his early fifties, ran a hand through is long blonde hair, before standing up and shaking her hand.

"It's a pleasure, Ariadne."

"Thank you, nice to meet you, Mr. Wright." Ariadne sat down in the chair that Blackhurst indicated with a nod of his head, waiting for them to speak.

"Liam will first be teaching you the duties of being a Point Man, and than going into the art of extraction. It will be a challenging couple of weeks, and I hope you are prepared. The extraction will take place in exactly three weeks, and we have no room for mistakes."

"Three _weeks?_ Are you crazy? Is that even possible?" Wright cut her off.

"We have heard you are a very talented dreamer, Ariadne, and I must say, I am a very talented teacher. With your cooperation, I believe that this is possible." Ariadne was still skeptical, but a much more prominent part of her craved dreaming enough to overpower the skepticism.

"Alright, I'll do it." Blackhurst stood up, ushering her to the door.

"Wonderful. We start training tomorrow."

**A/N: **I've been lucky so far, and have had very little writer's block. I just wanted to let you know that I will not necessarily be updating everyday, but I will try to update frequently.

Please, please review. :)


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: **Hola! Thank you all again for reading this story, and reviewing it! This chapter is probably going to be slightly longer than usual. Enjoy!

**Disclaimer: I am not Christopher Nolan, nor do I own his works. I'm just playing with his characters. :)**

…**.**

"Darling, you are a bloody idiot." Arthur glared at Eames for a moment, before covering his face with his hands. He stood up, turning away from the Forger. For once, Eames was right.

They were having a tough time extracting without a decent architect. Jobs were still completed, but not without being considerably more difficult. When Eames had discovered that Ariadne would no longer be a part of their team, he refused to do another job until Arthur told him the reason. Needless to say, he was not happy. They took jobs together anyways, Eames acting as the forger and the architect, and Arthur as the Point Man and Extractor.

"Arthur- get her back. So you want to shag her, what's the big deal? She's the best damn architect I've ever worked with, and we need her. Just go and apologize." Arthur knew Eames was right. They needed Ariadne.

"Alright, just give me time. I'll do it before we take any more jobs. No guarantee that she'll forgive me, Eames." Without another word, Arthur left the hotel, hoping that a walk would clear his mind. The air in Australia was quickly cooling down as winter was approaching- it would be good for his exhausted mind.

He missed her. Not just in a professional sense, but primarily in a personal way. He missed her quick wit and easy laugh. She was a pleasant person to be around, and her absence left a glaring hole in him. _At least she was safe._

…**.**

"What do you know about being a Point Man?" With a pang in her chest, Ariadne thought of Arthur. Despite herself, she missed him. Hell, she missed all of them.

"Their job is to gather information about the subject. They learn as much as possible in the given amount of time, using the information to fill in the details of the dream. They make the dream seem more realistic to the dreamer." Liam nodded at her, satisfied with her answer.

"You have an understanding of the job- that's a good start. Why don't I give you an example of what the information that you're looking for will be like? I did a little work on you." Liam grinned when he saw her shocked expression.

"I didn't reali-" Liam interrupted.

"That's the point, isn't it, my dear?" Ariadne nodded, remaining silent. "Let's see, Ariadne Marie Turner, born and raised in Montreal, moved to Paris when you were 19, raised by Meredith Turner, deceased- suicide and Robert Turner. Three brothers, Michael, Christopher and Geoffrey. Shoplifted mascara when you were 15- got off with a warning. Graduated from Eagle High School with Honors. That's just the surface of what I know about you, Ariadne." She just stared at him. _How the hell did he know about all of that?_

"How did you do that?"

"That's exactly what you're learning. The best way to go about learning this is by practicing. I have a practice 'subject' in mind- your friend Arthur." Ariadne shook her head.

"That's impossible, I don't know anything about him, with the exception of his first name." Liam smiled wickedly.

"That's the hard part. You use everything that you do have- a picture, a sketch, whatever. Do background checks, bribe informants- use your imagination, Ariadne. You have three days." With that, he led her to the door, and she began her walk home.

She was screwed. There was no way to find this information. Ariadne took the long way home, hoping to find some ideas. When she was home, she was still stuck. Suddenly, she did what any other college student would do while stumped for information- she Googled it.

Opening her web browser, she typed 'background check based on sketches.' Because she had no photographs, she figured this was the best route. Even if she could just get a name, it would give her a solid place to start. Surprisingly, she got a couple of hits on her search. She clicked on the most legitimate looking site. _**Send a sketch or photograph to this address, along with $50, and we will send as much information as we can find on the person in question. No refunds.**_

She quickly pulled out a piece of paper and pencil, and started to sketch. She quickly drew the outline of his head, the shading on his strong jaw, the slight upward curve of his mouth- an almost permanent ghost of a smile. She drew his strong, masculine nose, his slicked back hair. Ariadne saved his eyes for last, her favorite part of his handsome face. They were dark, _full of knowledge_, with lovely long lashes. These were the same eyes that she had woken up to after her first PASIV-induced dream. At that time they were laced with concern, attempting to comfort her. That was how she preferred to remember them- as opposed to the cold eyes that had glared at her the last time she had seen the Point Man.

She mailed the envelope, along with a substantial amount of extra cash- to insure speed, the following morning, hoping for good luck. A large part of her was eager to know more about the enigmatic Arthur. A much smaller, nagging part of her was scared of what she would discover, and nervous to present it to Liam.

Ariadne got her answer the next day. She hastily ripped open the thick manila package, and pulled out the contents. She was shocked. They found him.

_Dear Ms. Smith,_

_As you can see, we have found your person in question. We hope to continue doing business with you._

_Sincerely,_

_Jim Baxter and co._

_**Subject Name: Arthur David Robinson**_

_**DOB: February 16, 1984**_

_**Birthplace: New Providence, New Jersey**_

_**Parents: Eileen Elizabeth Robinson (deceased- cancer)**_

_**James Arthur Robinson (deceased- automobile accident)**_

_**Siblings: Samuel Christopher Robinson (estranged)**_

_**Current Location: Australia**_

_**Occupation: Unknown**_

_**Criminal Record: Assault, 2006, USA**_

Along with the information, they had attached photos of Arthur. However, Ariadne couldn't focus on the pictures. The only thing she was able to focus on was the familiar name of Arthur's brother; the same name as the subject of the Extraction. All of these thoughts were erased from her mind, however, when Ariadne realized that she was not alone.

Ariadne felt panic raise in her throat, a slow, thick, burning monster as she whipped around to see the person standing in her doorway. _Liam._

"Liam? W-what are you doing here?" Liam took a step towards Ariadne.

"You've done exceptionally well, Ariadne, exceptionally well."

"Liam, why am I extracting from Arthur's brother? Did you know about that connection?"

"Of course I have. The thing is, we aren't extracting from Samuel Robinson. He was simply a lure to get to you here. In turn, _you_, my lovely girl, are a lure for Arthur. Funny how things work out, isn't it?"

Ariadne stared, frozen, for a moment, before lunging towards the door with a cry. Liam quickly reached out, grabbing her by her hair, shoving her against the wall.

"Don't make it harder than it needs to be, Ariadne. Come with me, and you will not be hurt… yet." Ariadne responded by aiming a kick towards his leg. He seemed to be expecting this. He did not seem to expect, however, the punch aimed at his throat. This startled him enough to drop her, and once again she was darting towards the door. Liam pounced on her, both of them falling to the floor with a crash- in the fall she heard a sickening crack as she felt her wrist break. Ariadne struggled desperately against him, but it was no use. Liam pulled a gun from his hip, and pointed it at her.

"Come with me, Ariadne. I do not wish to shoot you. I won't kill you, but it will hurt." All of her resolve drained out of her; she knew there was no hope of escaping. Liam pulled her to her feet, keeping a tight hold on her arm with one hand, simultaneously keeping his gun trained on her. Ariadne felt blood dripping down her cheek, felt bruises forming along her body. Quickly, Liam led her out of the apartment, away from safety, hope and comfort.

…**.**

**A/N: Good Lord, that was exhausting. Review, please! I love your feedback.**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: **So, it's been a couple of days… sorry! School just started again, and I've been exhaustingly busy. But I'm trying to update whenever I can!

**Disclaimer:** I have a confession to make. I'm Christopher Nolan. I own Inception. I'm just disguised as a 21 year-old girl that writes fanfiction.

…Just kidding.

…

Ariadne could hear the dripping of water somewhere within the vicinity. The constant _drip, drip, drip_ was slowly driving her insane. It was as if time was slowing to a complete stop. The only escape was when she drifted in and out of consciousness. She was in a basement somewhere, she knew that much. The issue was that Ariadne had no idea where that basement was; if she didn't know, how was anyone going to find her? _Arthur. The real question was how __**Arthur**__ was going to find her. _

_Drip. Drip. Drip._

The Architect cautiously opened her eyes, taking stock of her injuries as she became more aware of her body. She wasn't in good shape- there was dried blood that crusted around her left eyebrow and trailed down towards her chin, one of her eyes was almost swollen shut, she was sure that a couple of ribs were either broken or badly bruised. Ariadne's left ankle was soar, but not broken. The worst, and most noticeable injury was her broken right wrist. Her right arm was her drawing arm- if the Architect's wrist didn't get set correctly before healing, she knew that the doctors were probably going to have to re-break it. Ariadne felt around in her pocket, grasping her totem. She was thankful that they didn't search her pockets- without her totem; she could lose touch of reality. She also felt the weight of her slowly dying cell phone in her pocket. Quickly, she reached down and turned it off- she may need it later.

_Drip. Drip. Drip._

Cobol kept her fed, and gave her water, but just enough. She was always slightly hungry, and always thirsty. Ariadne hasn't seen Liam or Blackhurst since she'd been taken captive; her only human contact has been with a large henchman-like brute with a gun. All she could do is sleep, and dream about rescue.

_Drip. Drip. Drip._

…..

_It was time. _Arthur was going to apologize to Ariadne; there would be no more jobs without the Architect- Arthur and Eames agreed on that. He held no hope of anything romantic blossoming out of this, which was for the best. Arthur feared that he had hurt his relationship with Ariadne beyond repair. She _hit _him. The corners of Arthur's mouth twitched up at that thought. It was that fiery spirit that had caught his attention in the first place; he couldn't find himself angry with her, no matter how much he tried. The Point Man leaned his head back against the cushiony headrest of the first-class seat. First class was an indulgence that he never passed up.

Arthur's plan was simple. When he arrived in Paris, he would go to her apartment to find her. He would beg if he had to in order to get Ariadne to dream with him… and Eames… once again. _What if she isn't interested? _She had to be- she was, above all else, a creator. Ariadne had raw, pure talent, and even she couldn't argue that it was best used in the dream world. That was the only place that she could create without limitations. _She will be interested._

When Arthur stepped off the plane, he felt a small hitch in his pulse. He was _nervous-_ a fairly uncommon emotion in his life. Ariadne took his world by storm, though, so nothing was common when it came to her. She caused his logic and emotions to go haywire- a fact that both confused and irked him. He slowly walked towards her apartment, taking time to compose his thoughts before he saw her. As he walked up the stairs, he took deep breaths. Arthur didn't like not knowing what he was walking into, but this situation with Ariadne was entirely unpredictable. When he got to her apartment, he noticed the door was cracked open.

"Ariadne? Ariadne, it's me, Arthur. I know you probably don't want to talk to me, but I want you to come back to dreaming with Eames and I- we need you. I'm sorry about the things that I said- you're irreplaceable. I was wrong, Ariadne. And you know how hard that is for me to admit," Arthur chuckled nervously when there was no response. "Ariadne, are you ignoring me? I said I'm sorry! Please, come to the door."

When there was still no response, he slowly pushed the door open a bit more.

"Ariadne! Ari-" He finally saw her apartment- it was in complete disarray. Picture frames and books were scattered on the floor, a broken vase was lying on its side. Papers were scattered near Ariadne's entrance table- Arthur stooped to pick them up. He picked up the top sheet off the pile and began reading:

_**Subject Name: Arthur David Robinson**_…

Arthur dropped the sheets of paper and stared at the pile in shock. It was only at that moment that he noticed the blood.

….

_Drip. Drip. Drip. _

Ariadne started when she heard the sudden appearance of steps. It wasn't the brute- they sounded different. The door swung open, and Blackhurst quietly stepped inside.

"Good evening, Ariadne. How are you doing?" Ariadne glared at him, remaining silent. "I came here because I thought that you'd like to hear our plans with you. You see, I'd like if we could kill two birds with one stone. We're keeping you here until your dear Arthur comes to rescue you. Since it will probably be a while, Liam and I decided that it would be… educational… to dream with you. More than anything, I'd like to learn how to make an Inception successful." Ariadne cut him off.

"I'll never tell you, you stupid prick." Ariadne heard the slap across her face before she felt it, a raging trail of fire running across her cheek.

"We don't need you to tell us, we can find it ourselves. And we _will_ find it." Ariadne scoffed humorously.

"You're going to try to _extract _it out of me?"

"We're not going to _try_, sweet Ariadne. Cobol always succeeds, so trying is unnecessary. Now, back to the plan. After the extraction, and dear Arthur comes to play 'hero,' we plan to kill you. Goodnight, Ariadne."

When the door shut, Ariadne felt her calm façade crumble. With her shoulders convulsing with sobs, she curled into a shaky ball on the floor. Arthur was never going to find her- Ariadne was filled with emptiness as she felt the last of her hope flicker inside her.

_Drip. Drip. Drip._

…

**A/N: **Your responses to the last chapter gave me so much joy. Thank you so much for reading! Please review!


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: **I'm so sorry for the wait on this. I just started school again, and have had zero time! :-/ Also, it's difficult to type because I stapled my finger today. Owww :( Thank you, thank you, thank you for the reviews! I love that you tell me what you think… I'm always open for opinions/ suggestions. Anyways, enjoy!

**Disclaimer: **Inception isn't mine. Sometimes I dream that it is, but then I wake up… or do I?

Seeing the blood brought a surge of panic to the usually calm Arthur. There wasn't a lot of it, but there was enough to make it clear that something was wrong. His Architect wasn't here… and not by choice. _Well, at least she wasn't ignoring him_. Arthur guiltily forced the thought out of his head. _This is NOT the time._ Arthur pulled out his phone and speed dialed the first person that popped into his head. They answered on the first ring.

"Cobb? It's Arthur. I need your help."

….

Ariadne was standing in her living room. It was clean, cleaner than she left it. She was unsure as to how she got here. When she woke up, she was on her couch. _Why did they bring her back?_ Ariadne walked over to her entry table. Her picture frames- unbroken. The confused architect fumbled for her totem and set it on the table. It tipped when she flicked it down, but bounced back up as if attached to some sort of invisible string.

_She was dreaming._ The thought made her uneasy. She had to get out; she had to wake up. _What difference would it make? She's locked up in a basement. Even is she was free from the dream, she was still their prisoner. _

Ariadne left her apartment, walking outside into the sunlight. She knew that she had to wake up, but she just wasn't ready yet. This is the first time she's been outside in days, and she wanted to enjoy it. Besides, she had to come up with a plan, and she always thought better when she was moving.

There was one thing that Ariadne was sure of- they could not get her secrets. Cobol learning to perform and inception would cause chaos in the corporate world; it would become a monopoly. Cobol would own everything. The fact that Ariadne was never really suspicious of Cobol frustrated her. She let them into her life with open arms. _How humiliating._ One benefit of not knowing a huge amount about dreaming was that even if Cobol found what she knew about inception, it wouldn't be enough. She was no expert, and there was no way that the inception would be successful. Even so, she knew she could not allow them to hack into her mind.

There was something odd about her dream- there were no projections. They had to be somewhere. Ariadne suddenly got the overwhelming feeling that she had to find them. If she were going to find a large crowd, the first place to go was the university. With that thought, Ariadne turned on her heels and headed to her school.

….

"Ariadne's _what?" _Arthur winced at Cobb's tone.

"She's missing. Cobb- I don't want to take you from your kids so soon after your homecoming, but I need your help. I need to find-" Cobb cut him off abruptly.

"Call Eames and Yusuf. Call Saito. Anyone you can think of. I'm on my way- meet me at the warehouse at seven, tomorrow night. We'll find her, Arthur, I promise." Arthur hung up the phone, quickly making a few more calls. Everyone, with the exception of Saito, was meeting at the agreed time. Saito was willing to help once a plan was in place, but was unable to personally be there.

Arthur had some planning to do before the others got there. The first, and most pressing question was: _Who took her?_ Arthur knew that he had to return to Ariadne's apartment. He had to look for any clue he could find.

When he arrived at Ariadne's apartment, he stepped in cautiously. He didn't want to be there- the empty apartment was physical representation of his Architect's absence. Arthur walked over to the pile of papers that he saw when he was first here- the window into his past, the window into his secrets. Arthur wanted to feel angry that his privacy was invaded, but he couldn't muster up the energy that it required. He couldn't find himself angry at Ariadne- not while she was in danger.

….

When Ariadne arrived at the university, it was bustling with people. _Projections_. Ariadne was thankful to see them. They weren't going to harm her; they were a part of her. The Architect knew that she was going to have to find Cobol at some point. Liam, if she had to take a guess at who was in this dream. If anyone was going to try to extract from her, it was Liam.

Ariadne headed to her Architecture classroom. If she had a guess as to where he was, that would be it. When she walked into the room, she saw that she was correct. Liam was sitting at Professor Miles' desk, reclined with his feet resting on the surface. His eyes were closed, but she saw a smirk grow on his face as she approached.

"Ah, Ariadne, darling. I wondered when you'd find me. Have a seat, my love."

"What do you want from me, Liam? Why are you in my head?" Liam reached up, softly stroking Ariadne's cheek with the back of his hand. Ariadne shuddered, and took a step back.

"You know why I'm here. Tell me how you performed the inception." Ariadne glared at Liam.

"I only know the basics, not the nuances. I certainly don't know enough to make it successful."

"Then tell me the basics." Ariadne scoffed.

"I honestly can't think of a better way to say this… so I'm just going to have to say it simply: Fuck no." Liam's eye's narrowed before he sighed.

"Sweetheart, I'm going to find out whether you are willing or not."

"Well, do it the hard way. I'm not telling you a thing." With that, Ariadne stood and walked away. She had been careful to not look anywhere except Liam's face during the conversation. Ariadne knew that he had been watching her eyes closely, hoping that she would give away the location of her secret. _He was going to have to work a hell of a lot harder than that._

The only way, Ariadne thought, was to find the safe before Liam. If she got rid of the secret, there would be nothing to find. First, though, she was going to have to find some protection. This was not going to be easy- firearms were not usually her forte. The only place that Ariadne could think to go was the warehouse. _Would it even be in the dream?_

Ariadne walked in the direction of where the warehouse should be. To her relief, it was there. A sudden thought drained her relief and froze her feet to the ground. _Cobol knew where the warehouse was. What else did they know? Who else was in danger?_

….

Picking up the papers, Arthur sifted through them slowly. Finally, he saw a paper of some use.

**Subject: Samuel Robinson**

Arthur couldn't help but be startled by his brother's name. He hadn't seen his brother in over five years. Sam didn't exactly agree with Arthur working on the wrong side of the law. Arthur read through the paper slowly, absorbing as many details as he possibly could. Finally, he reached the bottom of the page. What he read made his blood run cold- _Cobol Industries_. The papers, and his hope, fluttered to the ground.

**A/N: **Review, my loves!


	7. Chapter 7

**So…I actually had to write this twice… My computer deleted the first one! :(**

**Disclaimer**: I own Inception… on DVD. ;)

….

Eames and Cobb were staring worriedly at the Point Man as he filled them in on the situation. All of the details added into one larger, grim, picture: Cobol had Ariadne and she was in grave danger. They had to find her, right away. The largest issue was that they couldn't agree on how to go about doing that.

Cobb wanted to wait for Cobol to contact them, Arthur wanted to tail the first Cobol employee that they stumbled across and Eames wanted to march into Cobol, guns blazing. Cobb's choice was the first option eliminated- it could take too long to wait for contact. Marching into Cobol was far too dangerous, so that choice was stricken as well. That left Arthur's choice. With a starting point in mind, they formulated a plan.

Arthur was to gather as much information on the Cobol staff members that had an involvement in dreaming as possible. Eames would then follow the most likely source for knowledge regarding Ariadne. Hopefully, that would lead them to their missing Architect. It was then, as Eames was happy to learn, that they would march into Cobol, guns blazing, to rescue Ariadne. It wasn't going to be easy, but they were the best, and they were determined as all hell. Arthur immediately commenced his research on the employees. The sooner this job was complete, the sooner he could relax. His heart wrenched at the fact that their last words exchanged were angry ones. Arthur longed to apologize to Ariadne. He loathed the fact that by attempting to push Ariadne from a dangerous job, he all but led her into Cobol's arms.

If something happened to her, Arthur would never forgive himself. _God, Ariadne, be okay. Please, please, be okay when we find you._

….

Ariadne found comfort in the familiarity of the warehouse. It reminded her of happier times, filled with the company of her favorite boys. _Do they know that I'm missing?_ Ariadne thought of the business card in her pocket of her real-life jeans. If only she could have contacted them right away, she would be safe.

Safety. The word reminded her of the reason she'd sought out the warehouse in the first place- Ariadne was in need of weaponry. She immediately spotted a small handgun on Arthur's desk. Next to it, a hunting knife and three grenades sat as if laid out specifically for her use. _Grenades? What the hell will I need grenades for?_ Nevertheless, she placed them into a small shoulder bag that she'd seen on her way in.

Now reasonably armed against whatever was facing her out in the dream world, she needed to find the safe. Cobb had mentioned that safes were generally where the subject felt the most secure. _I felt most secure here, with the team. So- where is this safe?_

Ariadne looked around the room. The most likely place, of course, was her desk. She immediately walked over to it, and opened every drawer, checked every space- nothing. Glancing around the room once more, her eyes settled on Arthur's desk. The weapons had been there- a safe would make just as much sense. She was much more cautious about searching through this workspace. Although it technically wasn't Arthur's actual desk, it still felt like an invasion of privacy. Finally, after searching through almost every drawer, she found it. For the combination, she used her grandmother's birthday- the same combination that she's always used. It opened easily. Ariadne reached in and grabbed the papers from inside.

"Ah, you found it. Thank you, my dear Ariadne, for making my job so simple. Now give me those papers." Ariadne stilled as she heard Liam's smooth voice from behind her. Her heart plummeted to her feet as she slowly turned around. Her thoughts were whirling quickly as she desperately tried to come up with a plan.

"Okay. Come closer, and you can have them." Liam stepped closer, eying her suspiciously at her lack of resistance. It was unlike the stubborn Ariadne to give up so easily. With that thought, Ariadne pulled the grenade out of her bag, flipped the cap, and grabbed onto Liam tightly.

The explosion swallowed them both.

….

"We're supposed to tail Marcus bloody Blackhurst? Do you have a death wish, Darling?" Eames had a point, Arthur knew that much. Blackhurst was possibly the most dangerous employee that worked at Cobol. To tail him was almost to commit suicide.

Cobb looked at the pair, observing from across the room. He was silent, a sure sign that he was as worried about the Architect as the rest of them. He'd brought her into the dreaming business in the first place; he was the reason that she was in danger. Yusuf had been unable to leave Mombasa, and would be of little help, but he too sent his worries with Cobb. Ariadne had a team of men concerned about her, and a team of men devoted to getting her to safety.

"Eames- we don't have a choice. I'd rather have a death wish than give Ariadne a death sentence." The two men exchanged a look of grim understanding.

"At this rate, Arthur, we may not be able to choose between the two. It's likely to be both." With that, Eames rose from the table, grabbed his coat and Blackhurst's information, and started towards the door. Before leaving, he turned back and called, "You're lucky I'm the best at this, I hope you know." Arthur gave him a curt nod, and a faint smile. With that, Eames was gone, whistling as he walked.

"Arthur, can I ask you a question?" Cobb's voice startled him out of his deep thoughts. Without waiting for a response, he continued, "Why are you so concerned about Ariadne? Don't get me wrong, we're all worried, but you seem to be taking this at a deeper, more personal level." Arthur looked at him, his usually impassive face looking embarrassed.

"Let's just find her, Cobb. Please." With that, Cobb knew that the conversation was over.

….

Ariadne's eyes snapped open. Liam was standing over her, looking fiercely angry. He grabbed her shoulders, lifted her off of her chair, and slammed her against the wall. Ariadne whimpered with pain as she felt one of her ribs crack.

"Now, Ariadne, that was unkind. I wasn't done dreaming yet." Contrary to his appearance, his voice was frighteningly cold and calm.

Liam grabbed her shirt collar and forced her towards him. When she got close enough, he slapped her across her face, again and again. She remained quiet, but despite her efforts, tears rose to her eyes. Ariadne knew that fighting back wouldn't help- she was stuck there. Finally he dropped her and walked out, leaving her crumpled on the floor.

As soon as he left, Ariadne began sobbing. All of the emotions that she has been holding back, all of the sadness and crushing fear, rushed into her at once. She needed to find away out- now. The Architect reached into her pocket, searching frantically for her totem, and pulled out her cell phone instead. Obviously amateurs at kidnapping, they hadn't searched her pockets. Shakily, she pressed the on button- it sprang to life. Hope filled her as she shakily pulled out the business card and began to dial. _This is too simple._ Ariadne shoved the thought into the back of her mind as she lifted the phone to her ear.

She almost passed out with joy as she heard the frantic voice on the other end of the line.

….

Arthur was deeply focused on his research when his phone began to ring. Eames had collected quite a bit of data on Blackhurst, and Arthur needed to sort it out in order to formulate a proper plan. The incessant tones of _non-je ne regrette rien_ filled the air, and snapped him out of his work. When he looked at the screen, he nearly dropped his phone, laughed and cried all at once.

_Ariadne,_ the screen read. Arthur hurriedly snapped his phone open.

"Hello, Ariadne? Is that you?" With that, Eames and Cobb simultaneously snapped their heads up in surprise.

"_Arthur? Arthur, I need your help. I don't know where I am, but they've taken me. Cobol has taken me. Arthur, please. Oh, God, Someone's coming."_

"Ariadne, don't hang up. Stay on the line, please!" Arthur flinched as Ariadne began screaming. Suddenly, the screaming stopped.

"_I'm sorry," _A smooth voice came on the line, "_Ariadne seems to be busy at this moment."_ A click resounded in Arthur's ear.

Cobb and Eames were on their feet and at his desk within seconds. Arthur stared at his cell phone.

"What happened, Arthur?"

"They got her. They hung up." Arthur turned to his computer, and felt Cobb's hand rest on his shoulder.

"I'm sorry, Arthur." Arthur, oddly, smiled widely.

"I'm not. I put a tracker in her phone ages ago. It doesn't track when it's off. But she turned it on- she called me." Cobb gave him a strange look.

"I'm afraid I don't understand." Arthur shakily pointed to his computer.

"I'm saying that I know where they're keeping her. I know where she is." His smile grew impossibly larger as realization dawned upon his team members' faces.

**A/N:** Wow. This chapter was much longer than the other ones… Once I started writing, I just couldn't stop. Your reviews are appreciated!


	8. Chapter 8

**Guess what: I am not Christopher Nolan.**

….

The boys were on a mission. According to the GPS, Ariadne was in a building just down the block. The plan was that Arthur and Eames would sneak in, find Ariadne, and meet up with Dom, who would be driving the getaway car. They would immediately go to the airport and fly to Fiji, where they would lie low until a deal could be made with Cobol. As far as Arthur could see, it was flawless. Dom had mentioned some concern that Arthur's judgment could be flawed when it came to his architect, but the Point Man assured him otherwise.

They would strike at midnight.

…

Ariadne was in pain. After Liam found the phone, she was tied up and beat. The dried blood on her face made it difficult to keep her eyes open, so she slept often. After all, it made the time go faster. Liam had yet to put her into another dream; it seemed as though he found it unnecessary. The thought worried her- had he found what he needed? Was the extraction successful, despite her best efforts?

She hated to admit that she was losing hope. The thought of nobody being able to find her made Ariadne's heartache in her chest. She had honestly never felt so alone. _Where is Arthur?_

Although it was petty, Ariadne still felt anger burn behind her cheekbones at the thought of Arthur. He had hurt her; he made her feel weak, insignificant, and unwanted. After everything that they went through together, he could not return the same attachment that she felt towards him. She missed Eames, Cobb, and Yusuf as well. Hell, she even missed Saito. Talking to Arthur, even for a moment, brought those feelings back at full force. She preferred numbness to this, this unbearable pain.

The Architect was losing track of time. With no windows, she couldn't be sure of when it was day or night. Her only concept of time was measured by the cheese sandwich and water that they gave her twice a day. Judging from her hipbones, Ariadne knew she had lost too much weight. She needed to be found, and soon.

_CRASH!_ Ariadne started awake. _What the hell was that?_ She tried to look around, but everything was dark.

"Who's there-" She was cut off when a hand forcefully covered her mouth. She panicked, kicking and screaming as loud as her muffled mouth could handle. Ariadne felt her foot connect with something solid, followed by a grunt.

"Ariadne, it's me. Calm down, it's Arthur. I came to get you out of here," Arthur whispered urgently.

"Arthur? Is this real?" Arthur chuckled quietly.

"It's really me, Ariadne. Eames is outside the door, keeping lookout. We've got to go quickly." He gently helped Ariadne to her feet. Ariadne whimpered as her broken ribs stung against her sides, and her wrist jostled in the hand restraints.

"I'm not sure where you think you're going, Mr. Robinson. You just got here, why not take a load off, have a seat." Arthur froze at the sound of Liam's voice combined with the sound of a gun cocking. A light flicked on. The sight of Arthur was overwhelming for Ariadne, but she forced herself to remain quiet.

"Where's Eames?"

"He's otherwise occupied. You can't honestly think we don't have surveillance down here… I'm a bit insulted. You'd think you were dealing with amateurs. Now hand me your weapons. Slowly."

Arthur reached into his coat, and slowly placed his gun on the ground. Liam stepped forward, cracking Arthur over the head with the butt of his gun. Ariadne cried out as Arthur crumpled. Ariadne saw Liam approaching her, like a cat stalking his pray, and felt a sharp pain blossom over her forehead before the world around her went black.

When she awoke, everything was foggy. Her head felt as if someone had set fire to her brain. Ariadne's back was against something that seemed to be radiating heat, and her hands were behind her. It took her a moment before realizing that it was Arthur. Her last hope for safety was handcuffed to her back. A sob escaped from her throat as panic consumed her.

"I'm sorry." Ariadne jumped at the sound of Arthur's smooth voice.

"Arthur, it's not your fault that you got caught. At least you tried." Ariadne's voice was rusty from disuse.

"Ariadne… Ari. That's not what I'm sorry for. I- I mean the hotel. I'm sorry for what I said. I didn't-" Ariadne cut him off quickly. She honestly didn't want to hear what he had to say.

"Arthur, it's fine. I get it. You didn't want to work with me."

"Please, just let me say this. I lied. You are a brilliant, irreplaceable architect, and we were damn lucky to have you on our team."

"Arthur, you don't have to-"

"I do. I want to. I said it because I felt that I had to get you away from that job. It's too dangerous, and I had to protect you," He scoffed bitterly. "A lot of good that did you."

"But… why?"

"I've formed some sort of… attachment. I-I'm fond…" Arthur struggled for the right words. Ariadne was puzzled. Arthur _never_ stumbled over words.

"I think he's trying to say that he'd very much like to get into your knickers, Darling." _Eames!_ Ariadne felt joy and fear crash down upon her simultaneously. _They got him too. _His voice came from the corner.

"I- that's not- no," Arthur continued to struggle. He took a deep breath, ending the moment. "Eames, are you alright?"

"My head hurts like a bitch, that's for sure. But I've felt worse, love, no need to worry." He chuckled, and then moaned in pain. "I think my shoulder is dislocated."

"How are we going to get out of here?" Concern was evident in Ariadne's tear-filled voice.

"I'm hoping to come up with something. I just need time." Just the thought of Ariadne crying made Arthurs stomach knot. Their talk hadn't quite gone how he'd hoped. _Thanks a lot, Eames._ The trio was silent for a moment, when they heard Eames grunt again. The light buzzed and then flickered on. Eames was bruised, and his lip was busted, but he didn't look too bad. Arthur couldn't see Ariadne, although he ached to.

"Ha! I'd thought that switch was over here." Eames smiled tightly, and then looked at Ariadne. The smile melted off of his face. "Oh, Ariadne."

"What? What's wrong with her, Eames?" Arthur struggled against his restraints.

"It's nothing, I'm fine. Just a couple of bruises." Eames snorted.

Arthur _had_ to get out of his restraints. As he struggled, he realized that he was not actually attached to Ariadne. He struggled to turn and face her; he then saw her back.

"Turn around, Ariadne. Let me see you." Ariadne winced. She knew that he would not react to her injuries well.

"You know, I'm pretty comfortable like-" Arthur interrupted.

"Turn. Around." With that, and a lot of effort, she scooted so that she was facing him. His eyes widened as he took in her appearance. "Ari…" he whispered gently. Her swollen eyes met his.

"Stop. We can't focus on me. We need to find a way out." Arthur sighed, his eyes never leaving hers. The tenderness that was present in his deep brown eyes unnerved and confused her.

"Ari, I… I think you're a great architect. We need you." Ariadne's eyes clouded with disappointment. She nodded, and then looked away.

"Smooth, Arthur."

"Shut the hell up, Eames."

The door burst open with a bang, a dark shadow appearing in the opening.

…

**A/N: **Cliffhangerrrrr! This chapter was fun, and intense. I love Eames and his smart-ass comments. :D Anyways, thank you SO MUCH for the reviews! I reached 40, which is way more than I'd ever expected. I love you all. Please, please, review. Tell me what you think!


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